"Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to methane and oxygen with an oxygen ion-conducting electrolyte; Authors: Gurt, T.M.; Wise, H.; Huggins, R.A.; Affiliation: Stanford University; Dept. of Materials Science Engineering; Stanford, CA; Publication: Journal of Catalysis, 1991, vol. 129, pp. 216-224; Abstract: The performance characteristics of a solid-state electrochemical cell have been examined for the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide and hydrogen to methane and oxygen. The electrolyte, made up of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), served the dual function of (a) a support material for the platinum catalyst, and (b) an oxygen ion-conducting membrane for the removal of surface oxygen formed during the reaction. The results indicate a linear increase in reaction rate with DC bias applied across the solid electrolyte. The reaction proceeds by way of a stepwise abstraction of oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide and hydrogenation of surface carbon to methane";

Not a "CoalTL" report, and our apologies to any - maybe Jamie and Char especially - who might have little interest in this. But, we thought it intriguing in general and wanted in part to keep lines of communication open. We hope the info will prove of at least modest interest to some.

We're attaching the file in case the link doesn't transmit. It's a "position" paper, sort of an open or "to whom it may concern" letter, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry:

Carbon Dioxide - - as we might conveniently harvest as a byproduct arising from our economically essential use of Coal in the generation of abundant, affordable and reliable electric power - - can be seen and treated as a valuable raw material resource.

Carbon Dioxide holds the potential to help free the United States of America from it's economic enslavement to the foreign and in some cases dangerous nations of OPEC, and to enable the creation of new industries, and more jobs, in United States Coal Country.

What is the main weapon being used against us in the "War On Coal"? If it's the Carbon Dioxide issue, then, believe it or not, we have some allies in other nations and other states.

There is a broad-scale and international development underway to perfect the technology of what has become widely known as "artificial photosynthesis", wherein solar light energy is used to power the conversion of Carbon Dioxide, as harvested from whatever convenient source, into hydrocarbon fuels, especially into a substitute for shale natural gas Methane - which shale gas isn't nearly as abundant or as clean as it's now-suspect supporters in our press and in our government would clearly prefer to have us believe.

We made earlier report of this via "CoalTL", but, danged if we can find it in the R&D archives - and, we're certain that's due to our too-casual system of titling our reports, and to our computer crashes which have scrambled our own records/files and made things more difficult for us here.